This year there are several soundbars and TVs we reviewed with Dolby Atmos capability. But the majority don't provide true Atmos satisfaction because they don't have a true comprehensive audio system. With the Samsung Soundbar Q990C, we've finally found the home audio system we're now crowning as the best in 2023. Why do we say that? The full review is as below.
SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
Samsung Soundbar Q990C
Soundbar type
Driver 22 speakers, 1 sub (11.1.4)
I/O port 1x HMDI eARC
2x HDMI 2.0
1x Optical
ATMOS Music Codec
ATMOS
Dolby MAT
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby True HD
All operating systems are supported
Virtual assistant support None
Touchpad None
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.2
AUX Audio Jack None
NFC None
Selling Price RM 6499
Samsung Soundbar Q990C which supports 11.1.4 channel audio. It consists of a 1.2 meter long soundbar, two satellite speakers for the rear audio channels and a subwoofer. The main soundbar has a boxy design with a body made of metal.
The entire front top and sides have thousands of metal for audio from the driver to be shot in all directions. With a metal grille there is no issue of dust gathering like speakers with fabric covers.
The two satellite speakers have the same metal design. It also has audio drivers fired up for use by the Dolby Atmos system. Finally, the large 26W subwoofer has a body made of wood. Feels very firm to the touch. In fact, the design of the Q990C is the same as the previous Q990B, only with improvements in the components used.
With dimensions of 123.2. x 6.95 x 13.8 cm, we feel the Q990C is only compatible when matched to a TV with a screen size of 65″ and above only. On smaller TVs it becomes so large that it looks unbalanced anyway.
With a height of 6.95 cm it is also quite tall for a soundbar. It doesn't easily fit under some of the TVs we have in the our lab. Make sure the TV table has enough space or hang the TV on the wall to avoid running out of space.
On the top there are some physical buttons to control the audio level, the power button and the microphone mute button. These buttons are made of rubber. A dot matrix screen placed on the front right displays the audio status and the input being used. It is too small to display the necessary information. So our SmartThings application is recommended to be installed on a smartphone to make it easier to change the settings of the Q990C and see more clearly the various modes that can be changed by the owner.
In terms of I/O, there is 1x HMDI eARc, 2x HDMI 2.0, and 1x optical input. It is very minimalistic without the 3.5mm wired input option and also the USB-A connection that is usually found on soundbars. There is one USB-A port on the bottom but this is only used to perform software updates when there are issues with the soundbar.
The NFC system that facilitates tethering to the phone is also missing. This is replaced by the Spotify Connect system, Google Chromecast Audio and Apple Air Play 2. If you own a Samsung device, the Tap Sound feature to transfer audio from the phone to the Q990C is also possible.
USAGE
The connection process to the TV is simple but not easy. This is because of the size and weight of the components that need to be lifted. The weight of the soundbar alone is 7.7 kg, while the speaker weighs 3.5 kg and the subwoofer weighs 11.7 kg. The main issue is space. If you live in a small apartment or condominium, the process of finding a large enough space and cable management will be a little complicated.
When activated, all four components of the Q990C will communicate with each other automatically. The connection to the TV is done with an HDMI cable through the eARC port. We reviewed the Q990C with a Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN800 and Prism+ Q65 Ultra. Unsurprisingly the Q990C is easier to match with Samsung TVs due to the same brand.
It is detected directly on the TV menu with the option of using the soundbar only, Q Symphony or bluetooth. Only on Samsung TVs the Dolby Atmos system via bluetooth can be enjoyed. Meanwhile, Q Symphony allows the soundbar and TV speakers to operate simultaneously for more comprehensive audio.
On the Prism+ Q65 Ultra TV with Android TV it requires a few extra steps but no issues for it to operate after but done through the Android TV menu. No calibration process is required. Instead in the SmartThings settings just activate the SpaceFit Sound feature so that the sound is automatically tuned to the space the Q990C is placed in.
The SmartThings software for us made the experience of using the Q990C a little difficult. Sometimes the Q990C is already on but SmartThings says it's not on. This is an issue we've had with Samsung smart TVs as well. The process of adding the Q990C to a SmartThings account is also quite long even on a Samsung phone.
Software is the Q990C's most notable weakness. We bravely also wait because as we said above to control various settings on this soundbar, it is still more intuitive than in SmartThings.
REMOTE CONTROL
The remote control is made of plastic while the buttons are made of rubber material. It requires two AAA batteries to work. Don't know why Smart Remote USB-C with solar is not used as a remote control. On this remote there are buttons to change input, start the BT tethering process, change the sound mode and change the treble/bass setting.
But as we said above, the LCD screen in front of the soundbar is too small for us to do the setting easily. So we only use this remote control before the Q990C is included in SmartThings.
AUDIO QUALITY
We said above that the Q990C is the best soundbar ever to enter the our lab. It overtakes the JBL Bar 1000 that was reviewed a few months ago because it has a more noticeable Dolby Atmos system, stronger bass, clearer treble and the ability to project dialog audio more clearly even at high audio settings. With more audio channels, all parts of the audio were thrown clearly into our ears when testing several movies in the lab.
Start with the movie All Quiet on The Western Front. In the scene of the attack of the German soldiers on the enemy's fortress, the direction from which the mortar was fired and where it exploded can be clearly traced. The movement of the soldiers' feet on the surface of the wet ground was also not drowned out by the sound of the explosion. The thousands of Maxim machine gun bullets that cut up as soon as they tore through the body are also very realistic. The Q990C managed to make us feel like we were on the edge of the First World War.
Then when tested with the film Batman The Dark Knight Hans Zimmer's soundtrack in the opening scene felt alive. You can really feel the throb of a team of clowns trying to rob a bank belonging to a secret society. When watching the content of the documentary Our Planet, Sir David Attenborough's voice seems to be sitting in the room with us exploring various habitats of wild animals that are threatened with extinction.
The Q990C also performs brilliantly for listening to music. We streamed Apple Music content from the TV to the Q990C at the highest bitrate. When listening to classical music, well-separated instruments can be heard where the players are seated in the orchestra. The lack is only felt when listening to punk and rock music of the 90s because of the album's original music mix which is not very good. If the source is indecent then the audio is also indecent.
For EDM music fans, the bass of the Q990C can shake the kidneys. We feel the power of the Q990C will be heard if you listen to jazz music and live recordings. Whenever Portishead's Roseland NYC Live album is played, it's probably as close as we'll ever get to hearing Beth Gibbons sing in this legendary concert.
The video game content also plays quite well. What's more PlayStation 5 now supports Dolby Atmos mixing. In other words the Q990C excels at playing audio for movies, TV series, music and video games.
IN THE BOX
In every purchase, you will receive the following.
1x Soundbar Q990C
1x Subwoofer Q990C
2x Q990C satellite speakers
1x HDMI Cable 1.5m.
4x Power cable
1x Manual.
CONCLUSION
What do you get with the Q990C? The audio system is like a Dolby Atmos movie theater at home regardless of the size of the room it is placed in. You can hear every sound of a bomb blast, the rustling of sand grains falling from the sky, the sound of bullets converging from various directions but at the same time the dialogue of the characters is clearly heard. No voice issues being overwhelmed by ambient noise. For watching movies we didn't squeeze the soundbar as well as the Q990C.
But the Q990C also excels as an audio system for listening to music at home. If you have Apple Music, the Q990C's Dolby Atmos system can be fully utilized. At RM6499 it is indeed an expensive system but for the satisfaction of listening to good audio it is
Pro
Complete audio system.
Dolby Atmos support.
Suitable for many types of content.
Solid bass.
Supports Chromecast, Air Play 2 and Spotify Connect.
Cons
SmartThings software is not user friendly.
Needs a large space at home.
Only suitable for large size TVs.